[Pure colloid carcinoma of the breast: anatomoclinical study of seven cases]

Breast mucinous carcinoma is a particular histological form characterized by the extracellular production of mucus. The pure form is rarely reported and its prognostic is better than the other types of the breast cancer. The aim of the present study was to discuss the various anatomoclinical, therapeutic aspects and the prognostic factors of the pure mucinous carcinoma of the breast.

We report seven cases diagnosed over a period of 11 years (1993-2003) in the laboratory of anatomy and pathological cytology of the university hospital of Sfax. A review of the clinical files with immunohistochemistry study (hormonal receptor, synaptophysine, chromogranine, Bcl2, Ki67, P53 and Her-2/neu (C-erbB-2)) were carried out for all the cases.

pure colloid carcinoma of the breast accounted for 0,5% of the whole of the breast cancers. The average age of patients was 69 years. At the time of the diagnosis, four tumours were classified T4, one T3, two T2, two N1 and one N3; no patient had presented metastasis (M0) according to pTNM classification. The echomammography showed regular contours mass in four cases. The anatomopathological study showed that the neuroendocrine differentiation was found in two cases, all the tumours had presented positivity for the hormonal receptors (oestrogen and progesterone) and negativity for the other antibodies, two cases exhibited the Bcl2 positivity and negativity for the other antibodies. An adjuvant radiotherapy was carried out for all the patients. The average duration of follow-up was of 33 months; the evolution was marked by the occurrence of metastases in two cases.

The pure colloid carcinoma of the breast constitutes a particular morphological entity which deserves to be individualized; neuroendocrine differentiation of these tumours must be required. Their forecast is relatively favourable.